right-wing Austrian ... mmm

[Andy_T]

So ... obviously, it's not over yet

The losing right-wing party had protested the election, and the constitutional court has declared the election void.
Not due to any kind of manipulation that was observed, but because it seems the correct procedure was not observed in all the election offices.

I am not aware of details, one accusation I had heard was that - in order to be able to count the votes by letter on the day of the vote count, in some places the vote counting personnel had opened the envelopes the day before, so that they would need less time to count the votes on the day of the vote count.

Austria court orders presidential election re-run after far-Right challenge

 

[Moll Flanders]

^ That is what I read, ballots being processed before the officially ordered start the morning after the election, and counts being carried out in the absence of party observers, often because officials were trying to get a quick result.

Austrian presidential election must be re-run, court rules | Reuters

 

[robert99]

Austria postpones presidential election | Breaking News | DW.COM | 12.09.2016
Austria’s presidential election, originally set for October 2, will be pushed back, Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said on Monday. The decision came after a number of voters planning to vote by mail complained the seals for the ballot forms were faulty.

"We are going to request that parliament approves a postponement of the election," said Sobotka.

The new round of voting is set to take place on December 4.

This was the latest problem to beset the race for Austria’s head of state. While largely a ceremonial role, the election became the subject of intense international interest when it was first contested last spring, as Austria came without 31,000 votes of being the first country in western Europe to elect a far-right leader since World War II.

 

[Andy_T]

Yes, with this latest fail, my fellow countrypersons are continuing to make a bit of a laughingstock of themselves....

 

[robert99]

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/New...ard-printer-for-gluegate-election-fiasco.html
Austria blames ballot card printer for “gluegate” election fiasco
Austria’s interior minister put the blame for yet another delay to the presidential election - termed “gluegate” by local reporters - on the company that made the postal ballots, many of which fell apart due to faulty adhesive.

“Politicians cannot be held responsible for a technical failure... If you tender for such an order, the government or a minister, just like any normal citizen, trusts that this order will be executed in an orderly fashion.”

The company, Kbprint, declined to comment.

 

[Andy_T]

Luckily, the Green candidate Alexander van der Bellen also prevailed - with a clearer lead - in the second round of election.

Austria far-right candidate Norbert Hofer defeated in presidential poll

Finally some good news coming from an election in 2016 ...

 

[Amy SF]

Luckily, the Green candidate Alexander van der Bellen also prevailed - with a clearer lead - in the second round of election.

Austria far-right candidate Norbert Hofer defeated in presidential poll

Finally some good news coming from an election in 2016 ...

I'm hoping that when John Oliver returns to his HBO show in February, he mentions this, partly because most of his viewers probably don't follow Austrian politics and won't know about it, and partly because his viewers will be desperate to hear some some good news...

 

[MadamSarcastra]

New Austrian Government Will Have A Far-Right Tilt

 

[Andy_T]

Truth be told, the far-right “Freedom party” was a member of the goveenment coalition in Austria already twice, from 1983-1986 and from 2000-2006.